Need help picking the right section in tournament
Sort:
Jul 6, 2011
0
#2
Go for the U1800 section. Don't worry - you should meet a lot of other underrated players. :) If you really feel confident about the U2100 section, go for it - you might get lucky! Hope this helps. Feel free to drop me a note if you have a question.
Thanks, that's the one I'm leaning towards.
Thanks, I just confirmed that there are 3 GMs and 1 IM attending but I will take your advice and register for the U1800.
Jul 7, 2011
0
#5
I'm in a very similar situation; going into my last big tournament, I was rated 1619. I could play in the U2200 section (which was the "open" section, because this was an amateur championship) or the U1800 section. I decided to play in the "open" section, in part because there are no cash prizes. In all the big, cash-prize-inspired tournaments I'm going to this summer, I'll be playing in my actual section.
I enjoyed playing the the U2200 (open) section; I beat a 2000 and drew with a 1900, and learned some good stuff.
I recommend you don't play in your open section, or at least I wouldn't, because I always feel like I'm wasting the time of the top players. Depending on how competitive this event is, I would either play in the U2100 or U1800 section.
Just like the topic says, I need some help picking the right section for an upcoming tournament. I am rated 1613 in the USCF but in the last two tournaments I played I went from 1449 to 1550 (beating a 1700 and a 1947, losing to a 2064 and 1940) and then to 1613 (beating a 1961 and 664, drawing a 1910, losing to a 1985). I can play in three sections: Open, U2100, or U1800. Here are my thoughts and what I would appreciate is any assistance picking the right section for me:
Open: Very likely to have multiple Grandmasters and IM. I suspect average rating for top 10 boards will be ~2200. While I would probably have little to no chances to gain points here, the prospect of playing a grandmaster or even national master is thrilling, and I think I would learn a lot from it.
U2100: I think I would have some chances here given my past scores but it would still be extremely difficult. I also think I would learn a lot from this section.
U1800: This section appeals to me because I believe I could win it and with it the $500 prize. What holds me back is that I won't learn as much and also the fact that I know that I'm a little bit overrated. This eats away at my conscience. Then again, I could go in, lose all games and everything would be ok.
So what do you guys recommend. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.